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How to Do Yoga: A Routine for Beginners
When you think of yoga you might automatically think of a relaxing, easy workout to increase your flexibility and help you focus on your breathing. But in reality, yoga is great for toning and is actually one of the most effective workouts for weight loss! It’s true – yoga is a great way to fight those stubborn fat stores. Yoga can actually lower the levels of stress hormones in your body which then increases insulin sensitivity. This signals your body to burn food as fuel rather than store it as fat thus leading to weight loss. Not only that, you can easily do yoga from the comfort of your own home. Just arm yourself with some comfortable workout clothes, a great supportive sports bra like Shefit’s Ultimate Sports Bra and a yoga mat, and you’re all set!
1. What to eat before yoga
In order to reap the full benefits of yoga, you should make sure you’re eating right. Eating the right type of foods and the right amount of food will ensure that your body has enough fuel to get the most out of your yoga workout.
Make sure you’re eating quite some time before you start your yoga workout. Your body needs time to digest the food properly – at least a few hours. How long you wait really depends on what type of food and drink you consume but a good window of time is at least two hours before.
If you’re really pressed for time, here are some things you can eat within a one hour window:
- Avocado
- Bananas
- Fruit Smoothies
- Apples
- Yogurt
- Almonds
- Raisins
- Dried fruit and nut bar
- Berries
- Oatmeal
2. Watch the Hands!
Hand placement is important, especially for beginners. You can easily end up with sore wrists after only a few sessions if you aren’t careful. During poses where you are balancing on your hands, make sure you’re keeping the weight off of your wrist and more on your fingers and knuckles. Not only will it help take the pressure off your wrists, you’ll also start to build muscle and learn balance.
3. Control your Breathing
Learning to control your breathing is an important part of any yoga practice. Steady breathing helps keep your body balanced and allows you to get a deeper stretch. It might sound simple, but when you’re in the middle of a challenging pose, your breathing tends to be the first thing you forget to do! Before you start your yoga workout, begin in Sukhansa pose (legs crossed, with neck and back straight) and spend a few minutes focusing on your breathing, with steady and deep inhales and exhales.
4. The 30 day Rule
Change doesn’t happen right away, especially when it comes to working out and weight loss. The same goes for your yoga practice and flexibility. Many people think that they’ll notice a change in their flexibility right away but that’s simply not the case. You’ll really notice a difference in about one month’s time. If you’re committed and do your sequence once a day, you’ll start to notice the benefits. The difference might not be huge, but there will be a change in both your flexibility and overall body. To gage how much your flexibility is increasing, choose one pose from your daily sequence and note your progress over the course of a month. Not only will your flexibility improve but your breathing will also become more steady and calm.
5. Poses for Beginners
Figuring out which poses are right for you when you first start out can be tricky. When choosing your poses, try to pick some that are challenging but also comfortable for you. You don’t want them to be too easy but at the same time, you don’t want them to be impossible for you either.
This 10-Minute Yoga Routine Will Help You Feel Less Stressed
As a guide hold these poses for 30 seconds to a minute or about six to eight breaths. Do not hold your poses for longer than is comfortable for you, especially if you feel any pain or twinges. Do what feels right for your body especially if you are a beginner.
6. Post-workout food
Just like any workout, you’ll most likely be hungry after your yoga session. But in order to reap the benefits of your workout, you need to make sure you’re not just eating anything. A burger and fries will cancel out all the hard work you just did! So make sure you’re picking the right kind of foods like:
- Homemade vegetable soup
- Tuna
- Toast with banana and almond butter
- Green tea
- Fresh vegetable salad
7. Choose the Right Type of Sports Bra
Yoga might not seem like a sport where a good high impact sports bra is needed but in reality, you should always support the girls no matter what kind of workout you’re doing. Plus, many poses are inverted, - where cleavage can surely tumble out if you’re not careful. So to make sure that you’re both comfortable and supported during your yoga session, choose a bra that is designed for both comfort and maximum support.
When choosing a bra for yoga, look for details that allow you to customize and maximize your support based on your size. Shefit’s Ultimate Sports Bra does just that. The multi-way sports bra lets you configure the bra strap in two different ways: across your back (X-back) or traditional over-the-shoulder strap configuration (H-back). This two-way flexibility ensures that you’re getting the right fit, no matter what you’re size. You’ll be comfortable, fully supported and unstoppable during those Downward Dogs!
As you can see, yoga can be a great workout as long as you practice regularly and remember to eat right. Yoga is great not only for flexibility & weight loss but for the mind as well. It helps you clear your mind, reconnect with your body and gives you some much needed me time. So pick up your yoga mat, put on your workout gear and get ready for a great workout! And make sure you don’t forget your Shefit Ultimate Sports Bra so you can rest assured your workout will be both comfortable and supported!
By following the instructions above you’ll be able to effectively stretch the muscles around your hips, waist, abdomen, legs and hands. The poses not only help tone your figure, they can also help relieve constipation, stress and nervous tension – all in a natural way.
